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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spell — magic
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. spell — letters
  17. cue — a signal
  18. rest — a break
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rest — what's left
  21. spell — a short time
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. charge — in control
  24. cue — a hint

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com